Molded brassieres are known. For example, US 20040224604 describes how a brassiere made from moldable materials can be made without any or no significant use of stitching, at least to the perimeter shape of the brassiere and preferably also at any other parts of the brassiere.
Perimeter stitching or stitching elsewhere on a brassiere to hold components of the brassiere together can be undesirable. Stitching can have a tendency to come undone and unravel thereby affecting the integrity of the bra. Regions of stitching that are exposed may also irritate the skin of the wearer of the bra. Furthermore the incorporation of stitching is also time consuming as it needs to be controlled by a person and is hence a labour intensive exercise.
Brassieres of a shape that includes two breast cup regions from each of which part of a chest band extends are the most common form of brassieres. At the end of each chest band are provided clasps or connectors that, when the chest band portions are in part wrapped around the torso of a person, can allow for the connectors to become mutually engaged to thereby ensure that the bra remains attached to the wearer of a person. The connectors used in traditional forms of brassieres include a series of hooks and eyes usually made of a metal wire that can become mutually engaged with each other. The hooks and eyes are normally mounted by sewing or stitching, onto a mounting panel or tape. In the traditional form of brassiere, the mounting panel or tape is sewn onto the chest band portions of the brassiere at or towards their free end. Again such a sewing step is labour intensive as it needs to be done by a person. Furthermore such mounting panels or tapes are normally sewn onto an exterior of a chest band and can have an un-aesthetic appearance. In addition the sewn or stitched panels, if not finished to a degree where it is relatively smooth, can also cause irritation to the back of a person wearing the brassiere.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a molded brassiere incorporating fasteners which addresses the abovementioned issues or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.